Migration and Integration: The Impact of NGOs on Future Policy Development In Ireland Summary Report

The purpose of this study was to investigate the capacity of non governmental organisations (NGOs) to inform the development of national policies on migration in Ireland, here taken to include policies on immigration, asylum, integration and citizenship. In the context of current policies and likely future developments, and the opportunities and constraints in the Irish political system, the report assesses the strengths and limitations of existing NGO strategies. It identifies initiatives that NGOs and the government could take to enhance the capacity of NGOs to inform future policy development. It does not explore their capacity needs as advice and service providers, nor relationships with policy makers or service providers at the local level. The research was completed in the Autumn of 2005

Understanding the role of P2X7 in affective disorders—are glial cells the major players?

Pathophysiology associated with several psychiatric disorders has been linked to inflammatory biomarkers. This has generated a theory of major depressive disorders as an inflammatory disease. The idea of pro-inflammatory cytokines altering behavior is now well accepted however many questions remain. Microglia can produce a plethora of inflammatory cytokines and these cells appear to be critical in the link between inflammatory changes and depressive disorders. Microglia play a known role in sickness behavior which has many components of depressive-like behavior such as social withdrawal, sleep alterations, and anorexia. Numerous candidate genes have been identified for psychiatric disorders in the last decade. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human P2X7 gene have been linked to bipolar disorder, depression, and to the severity of depressive symptoms. P2X7 is a ligand-gated cation channel expressed on microglia with lower levels found on astrocytes and on some neuronal populations. In microglia P2X7 is a major regulator of pro-inflammatory cytokines of the interleukin-1 family. Genetic deletion of P2X7 in mice is protective for depressive behavior in addition to inflammatory responses. P2X7−/− mice have been shown to demonstrate anti-depressive-like behavior in forced swim and tail suspension behavioral tests and stressor-induced behavioral responses were blunted. Both neurochemical (norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine) and inflammatory changes have been observed in the brains of P2X7−/− mice. This review will discuss the recent evidence for involvement of P2X7 in the pathophysiology of depressive disorders and propose mechanisms by which altered signaling through this ion channel may affect the inflammatory state of the brain

Migration and Integration: The Impact of NGOs on Future Policy Development In Ireland (Full Report)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the capacity of non governmental organisations (NGOs) to inform the development of national policies on migration in Ireland, here taken to include policies on immigration, asylum, integration and citizenship. In the context of current policies and likely future developments, and the opportunities and constraints in the Irish political system, the report assesses the strengths and limitations of existing NGO strategies. It identifi es initiatives that NGOs and the government could take to enhance the capacity of NGOs to inform future policy development. It does not explore their capacity needs as advice and service providers, nor relationships with policy makers or service providers at the local level. The research was completed in the Autumn of 2005

Preserving the New England Mill Town: Encouraging Adaptive Re-Use by Identifying Community Factors that Contribute to Success in Mill Revitalization Districts

Mill Revitalization Districts have the ability to generate new vitality in some of the nation\u27s oldest communities. When efficacious, these districts promote economic development, community beautification, and environmental health. However, when attempts at redevelopment fail they leave ugly scars in the form of decaying buildings and underutilized resources. Monetary investment and intent to improve a community are two factors that by themselves, will not preserve a mill complex or benefit a city. The first Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized districts in the early 2000s showed signs of varying success; there was a missing catalyst besides monetary investment. In fact, it seems that it is not the developer, but something within the community itself that produces a successful revitalization. This project was founded on the idea that the human elements of a community promote the realization of a Mill Revitalization District (MRD)

The Regional Impact on Medieval Text and Image: Exploring Representations of Anti-Semitism in English and Northern French Medieval Bestiaries

This thesis endeavors to explain the variations in representations of anti-Semitism between medieval bestiaries. Medieval bestiaries, compilations concerning animals and their moralized characteristics, were a type of medieval literature commonly produced throughout Western Europe.[1] In order to make a more concrete analysis, this study focuses on two particular medieval bestiaries comparable in both date and style – The Aberdeen Bestiary from England and Le Bestiaire from northern France. Both date from the early 13th century and are classified as Second-family moralizing bestiaries, that is, they both derive from the Latin text Physiologus.[2] The analysis of these two bestiaries will focus specifically on how they reflect medieval stereotypes of Jews and anti-Semitic themes. First, both bestiaries are individually examined for depictions of medieval anti-Semitism. The Aberdeen Bestiary focuses on the medieval perception of Jews as potentially dangerous and terrifying “others,” who allegedly prey upon Christians, while Le Bestiaire focuses on the perception of Jews as a religious threat in need of conversion.[3] As these two bestiaries are comparable in both date and format, the question arises, why do they vary so significantly with regard to anti-Semitic representations? While both The Aberdeen Bestiary and Le Bestiaire originate in northwestern Europe shortly before the period of mass Jewish expulsion, the particular regions of medieval England and northern France differed significantly in political, economic, and societal environments.[4] Therefore, by analyzing the regional character of anti-Semitism in medieval England and in northern France the variations in the anti-Semitic representations appearing in The Aberdeen Bestiary and Le Bestiaire become comprehensible. Consequently, this thesis argues that there is a strong regional impact on medieval text and image, as understood through an analysis of representations of anti-Semitism in medieval bestiaries. [1] Willene B. Clark, A Medieval Book of Beasts: The Second-family Bestiary (Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 2006), 10, 14. [2] Clark, A Medieval Book of Beasts: The Second-family Bestiary, 10, 14. [3] Ibid; Debra Higgs Strickland, Saracens, Demons, and Jews (Princeton: Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2003), 95-96. [4] Raphael Langham, The Jews in Britain: A Chronology (Houndsmill: Basingstoke: Hampshire: New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005), 8-9, 22-23; Robert Chazan, The Jews of Medieval Western Christendom: 1000-1500 (Cambridge: New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006), 146

The Effect of Perceived Social Support on Client Attendance in Individual Therapy

There is an abundance of research that seeks to understand what affects client attendance in therapy. Many of the most recent studies have begun to look at how relationship factors, such as the client and therapist bond affect client retention in therapy. This study aimed to understand how perceived social support from friends and family might make an impact on client attendance. Additionally the effect of gender was observed to look at how it might moderate the effect of perceived social support on client attendance. No significant results were found to indicate that perceived social support from friends or from family has an effect on client attendance. Gender, as well, did not have a significant impact on client attendance. Future research is proposed to better understand patterns of client attendance in therapy as well as the role of social support in therapy

NURS 360: What additional sensory cautions and individualized interventions would be beneficial to a child with autism spectrum disorder in a hospital setting?

Going to the hospital is very stressful but it can be almost impossible for patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These children are at a larger risk for being admitted to the hospital because of periodic and chronic health complications and possible self harm or aggressive behaviors. Many hospitals are making strides to improve these children’s hospital experiences. Interventions include improving training and finding ways to make the environment sensory friendly. Implementing these tactics into the future can greatly improve patient outcome and encourage people with ASD to come back to healthcare environment when needed and not be as afraid